SANTOS CONFIRMS TRANSFER OF HERCULEZ GOMEZ TO THE XOLOS

Herculez Gomez came to San Diego in 2002 to resurrect a rapidly fading soccer career.

Eleven years later, he could be returning to the region, to continue an illustrious one.

Mexican club Santos Laguna confirmed via Twitter on Tuesday night that it had “definitively” transferred the 31-year-old U.S. national team forward to Tijuana of Mexico’s Liga MX. The Xolos did not make a formal announcement, but one is expected today.

Gomez was discovered by the Los Angeles Galaxy while playing for the third-division San Diego Gauchos and indoor San Diego Sockers in 2002, then spent several seasons in MLS before moving to Mexico’s Puebla in 2010. In his first season with Puebla, he had 10 goals in 14 games and became the first U.S. player to win a scoring crown in Mexico or any other first-division foreign league.

For the last two seasons, he has been with Santos Laguna, where he won a Mexican title and, in 2012-13, scored eight goals in 33 appearances (including 24 starts). The Xolos were shopping for reinforcements up top, with Duvier Riascos, Fidel Martinez and Alfredo Moreno all part of transfer rumors.

In other Xolos news, former coach Antonio Mohamed landed with Argentina’s Huracan, the Buenos Aires-based club where he began both his playing and coaching careers. Mohamed led Tijuana to the Liga MX title and the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores but said he wanted to be closer to his children in Argentina. The club last week announced Jorge Almiron, another Argentine, as his replacement.

The Xolos also announced that all but one home game during Liga MX’s Apertura season will be on Friday nights. The news likely won’t be welcomed by the thousands of U.S. fans who regularly attend Xolos games, having to face Friday rush-hour traffic to reach Estadio Caliente, then long border waits to get back.